Friday, May 4, 2012

First, I must thank you all. At every valley in this cancer journey, you have all been an inspirational chorus of support. It means so very much to me. Yesterday, you reminded me that, even though things look pretty dire to me right now, I should seize the day with K. So, I did. Thank you.

I'd also like to point you toward one of our "dog-blogging" community who has written a book that was inspired by her amazing experience with the blogging community when her dog, Max, had terminal cancer. She dedicated the book to the blogging community. MaxMom recently posted an excerpt from her exceptionally well-written, funny, and poignant book. I highly recommend checking it out.

As I scrolled through my photos today, I discovered that R almost always sticks out his tongue as he starts to run toward me for a recall. One of you made the funny comment that "he's testing the wind for take-off". It's a funny habit!

K likes to stick out her tongue too, but not usually at takeoff. This was from our ride this morning.

We got a late start this morning because K is a world-champion snuggler after the boys get up and go running. I'm going to have to resist the temptation to sleep late with how warm it is these days. She still romped over Hug Hill but you can see that she panted as she galloped.

We were just recalling that as a puppy, K was a wild girl first thing in the morning. We'd get her out of her crate and bring her into bed for snuggle time. She'd become a piranha, play-biting both of us with her sharp puppy teeth. That would get us out of bed in a big hurry. What a big difference a few years make!

Now, K is a calm and steady force in my life. She hasn't laid teeth on anyone in many years!

On a completely different note, our bears have become quite active in the forest. I haven't seen any near houses... but my cameras are getting photos of them regularly at their scent marking trees. Because my cameras are pointed at specific trees, we can see how different bears behave when they encounter the scent of another on a tree.

One bear went through, vigorously marking trees on 4/22, and then another followed in his pawprints one week later. The video below shows their behaviors. They're definitely different bears because the first one had a white blaze on his chest while the second one didn't. I suspect that the second one was a younger, less dominant, bear since he/she never stood up bipedal to mark a tree.

19 comments:

You must just love what a snuggler K has become. There's nothing better than snuggling with your best friend. Fred is becoming more of a cuddle bug the older he gets, but still has a way to go. R and that tongue still crack me up! He is such a boy! Your bear video is great! It's funny how different ones mark the trees and even funnier the way they mark them. I always thought they were itching their backs! LOL!

Oh yes cuddle time with MOM, it's just the best. The reason I asked if R was testing the wind is because MOM told me that her Pete before me would do the same thing and that is what she would ask him.It is still fascinating to see the bears. We hope your weekend is filled with amazing wonder.Blessings,Goose

Ann.. from THE OUTER BANKS of NC said ..I sure hope my smile is contagious because I am sending it straight to you.Such good video of the bears..I thought they were scratching their backs too LOL And sweet K and R with their tongues out are so precious...Have a good week-end...and may you know that tomorrow will be another day to celebrate and cuddle..

Amber is quite a cuddler too first thing in the morning. Either that or else she just doesn't want to get out of bed and figure that's a way to keep me in bed longer too. April always slipped under the blankets at night and I miss that so much now that she's gone.

Tomorrow morning I hope that when the sun comes up and shines through your windows,,,during your snuggle time,,,I hope you and K can feel those rays shine down on you- because I just know those raysare filled with love. Just like the love you have for each other.lovetweedles

When I look back at my photos of Amber, her tongue was always lolling out of the side of her mouth. It has upset me a lot since she has gone. You may remember that I lost her in January from oral cancer. I'll check out the book and thanks for the link.

I love your photos of K and R. I like the way they touch their noses with their tongues.

What beautiful dogs they are ! You always manage to capture them in the greatest moments. I say a prayer every time I come in here and I just focus on those faces. Thanks for the daily smile you give me while sharing your world.

The duo look fantastic together. I like your video. Interesting to see how the bear marks his presence. Will wait some day for checking our camera if there is some more moose on it. Hopfully we will get a newborn calf on it

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About Me

I live at 8200' in the Front Range of Colorado. I love exploring nature
in the mountains while riding my mountain bike and romping with my
two Labradors. Photography is another passion, including both "normal" photography and trail camera photography of wildlife.

My two dogs are Shyla, a 4-year-old Chocolate Lab, and R, a 8-year-old Black Lab.